


Mistaken Assumptions

by tavia454



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2008-12-28
Updated: 2010-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-13 02:13:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tavia454/pseuds/tavia454
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caught in a conflict not of his making as heir to a throne that shouldn't have been his, Yugi finds himself face to face with the most feared warrior of all time - the Pharaoh of Egypt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

AN: Due to the fact that fanfiction.net has turned into the pit that was once suggested as its name (thanks to certain cretins who can't keep their overinflated egos to themselves) I will be posting my works up here. Feel free to comment, or drop me a line and say hi. Hopefully the readers and authors will be able to keep this site running since I already see the main person responsible for being an idiot over on fanfiction has managed to get his claws into this site too. Perhaps he will behave himself, ne?

This story is already up on AFF and the Sanctuary but I will be posting chapters here like it was live. Thank you, and on with the story

___________

 

"Charge!!"

No sooner than the disembodied voice had finished giving the command and the hundred or so men who had been concealed by the inky darkness charged zealously into the heart of the small unsuspecting village. In the chaos that followed fifty or so terrified villagers were dragged from their beds and stabbed, beheaded, skewered or disemboweled (depending on the preferences of the men who had stormed their particular house) before being left to lie on the dirt floors of their hovels while the marauders continued on their rampage.

Men, women, children of all ages were slaughtered without thought. Not even the elderly were spared the blade as the raiders converged on their peaceful settlement with deadly intent, starting with the houses on the outskirts of the main plaza and working inward to ensure no one's escape. In one of the larger outlying houses a man with jet black hair and bright green eyes slept peacefully, unaware of the danger.

He was still half asleep as he was hauled roughly from his warm bed, along with his pregnant wife of only six months. He kicked out wildly at his captors, gaining a moment of freedom as he dropped to the floor to avoid the grasping hands.

With a swift movement he lashed out with his foot, dropping one of the intruders to the floor with him and the two of them wrestled for control of the man's sword. A hand found its way to his hair and pulled, trying to separate them but he managed to duck away. Unfortunately it gave the other man time to move out of his reach.

"What in the name of –AHHH!?!" Otogi's question was cut off as a second chunk of hair was ripped from his head in his attempt to escape the bruising grip.

"OTOGI!!!"

He pushed himself from the floor at his wife's pained scream. It was as if the whole world stood still. As he managed to find his footing it was to find his hands full of his dying bride.

Her throat cut, blood dripped down her mouth as she fought to whisper her last declaration of love. He laid a gentle kiss on her lips as he held her close, tears slipping from his eyes as he forgot all about the reason he was no longer asleep and watching the love of his life breathe her last breath. But the situation was brought back to him swiftly as a sharp pain in his back took his breath away.

"Hahahaha! Check out the lovebirds Canton!" A manic voice laughed in the darkness.

"Oh shut it Crom, just another whore and her paycheck – not like you've never seen it before." A second voice sneered.

The cruel comment fell on deaf ears as Otogi glanced down, barely feeling the pull as the sword was withdrawn from his body. He fell to his knees holding on to his sweetheart with the last of his strength. Perhaps he should have tried a little harder to convince Shizuka to come to the royal city. At least The Pharaoh would have been able to protect her from a situation like this.

"Th-the…Ph…Phar…Pharaoh…will…" And he dropped his head to the floor without being able to impart his message.

"The Pharaoh! Ooohhh we're so afraid!!" The second man chuckled as he gave a vicious kick to the dead man's body before he and his partner charged out of the house to join the rest of their comrades in their bloody rampage.

In reality the gruesome act took barely a half an hour to accomplish, leaving only an eerie silence after the last sword was sheathed. But to the men who were set on completing their mission – and those who had watched as their lives became forfeit on this moonless night – time had a way of distorting itself to the role they played in this long-planned out event, leaving many of the raiders clueless as to how long the actual deed had taken.

Once the last remaining victim was slain the men quickly set about rounding up the bodies and tossing them on a makeshift pyre in the center of town. An hour later, as the last body was thrown on top of the pile and the tinder beneath lit by way of torch a cry of victory was heard in the dead silence. It was the signal to those waiting on the outskirts of town that the marauders' victory was complete. And those who were waiting heeded and acknowledged with a short bird-call.

Once the return call was heard the men surrounding the macabre bonfire then feasted on the dead villagers' store of food as they swapped stories of their feats and poked fun at some of the fearful reactions of their victims. Tomorrow would be another day of training and hardship. But they had ensured their place in history with this act and they had earned the right to celebrate a little before going back to their daily routine.

As the fire wound down, hours later, many of the raiders wandered about the vacant dwellings, searching for anything of worth. Any item that caught their interest was immediately pocketed for further inspection. Clues were planted in obvious places as they demolished what they could of the town itself just for the fun of it.

And before long the call came from their superior that it was time to vacate the premises. As the last man left he touched his torch to one of the outlying homes, setting it ablaze. The fire would cover up what needed to be unknown, leaving in plain sight what needed to be seen. Their work finished they slunk back into the shadows from where they came.

Unknown to either the torch bearer or his friends their movements and descriptions were being watched and committed to memory by a child of no older than ten harvests. Their blood drenched blue soldiers' uniforms and the distinctive golden insignia on the breastplate of their leather armor was noted and recognized as the injured youth slipped silently away from the scene of the bloodbath.

"Is he finally gone?" One of the men who had hung about on the outskirts of town asked huffily without turning around just in case the child realized he was being watched.

A nod from the other mounted man. "He will be well on his way to informing the Pharaoh of all that he witnessed. Our mission is complete." A chuckle. "Now we wait and see just how long the prin – I mean our dear King – can hold out against his superior forces. Especially when his resources are so drained."

The first man chuckled as well. "That kid won't know what hit him. And once he's gone we'll be the ones with the power."

The first man swiveled his mount around and took off after the retreating soldiers, the other following at a more sedate pace. It was a pity their king had died, and the older prince along with him. Perhaps they shouldn't have been messing around where they weren't wanted. But even more the pity was that they left behind the weakling to guard the throne.

That was just asking for someone to come into their country and take it over for themselves. The country needed someone with power to take the throne. Someone like him. This plan would guarantee that. By the time he was finished the boy would meet the same end as the rest of the royal imposters – and he wouldn't even have to get his hands dirty. The Pharaoh of Egypt would do the deed for him.

The best part was that the high council of countries would have no cause to investigate into the circumstances leading up to the falling out between his country and Egypt. They would chalk it up to the Egyptian ruler's uncertain temperament. He would be a shoe-in for their next king. He was well acquainted with the Pharaoh's council – as well as most of the other men who reigned on the high council – after all. Everything was set for his coronation within the next six months, no matter whose decision it was.

______________________

 

Pharaoh Atemu, adolescent ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt, absentmindedly drummed his slender, bejeweled fingers on the arm of his throne, his expression one of condemned boredom as he listened with only half an ear while his six priests and head vizier squabble amongst themselves over when to implement the newest improvements to their crumbling irrigation system.

His piercing scarlet eyes glazed over as he fought an internal battle with his conscience over whether or not to adjourn the meeting. Something didn't feel right, it hadn't since early yesterday. The sinister feeling continued to grow in strength as the day wore on, as if trouble was approaching the palace on steady, silent wings.

But since he had no other evidence to back up his intuition, the irritated royal allowed his seven council members battle it out as a means of distraction. Whatever was wrong would rear its ugly head if he gave it time enough. After the last patch of trouble he had dealt with he truly didn't want to go looking for it. He was fed up with violence, with watching those under his protection die for no other reason than to sate someone else's need for more power.

He had thought that – after the first couple of times where he had viciously defended his country against attackers –people would have figured out Egypt was not an easy target, despite the fact that he had not yet reached his majority. Apparently, though, the concept that he was not a pushover hadn't quite made it through some people's thick heads (especially the Hitittes – who even now hung about Egypt's borders waiting for another chance to strike). Perhaps that was what weighed so heavily on his mind.

Atemu coughed discreetly and reached for a goblet of wine to wet his parched throat as Akunadin made a particularly nasty comment directed at Shadi. How much longer were they going to continue to snipe at each other this way?

Directly in front of the dais on which the throne sat, two of his favored priests Shadi and Isis – along with Siamun were going head to head against the combined determination of Seto and Akunadin. The three of them were rambling off each and every reason they could think of to stall the rebuilding of the ancient structures until after the flood waters had receded. Seto and Akunadin had argued back just as passionately for immediate construction.

"The threat of loss of life alone should be worth the contemplation. Not that you would consider it a concern." Isis shouted, throwing her hands in the air as she turned and walked away from those who had angered her to this point of raising her normally quiet voice.

"The loss of life will be just as high if we let this go for another season." Seto retorted just as hotly, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring defiantly back at the trio of challengers. "The channels are corroded and weak."

"Since when have you given a thought to loss of slaves' lives?" Shadi inquired, his brow raised.

Atemu mirrored his priest's facial expression, having been coherent enough to realize where this fiasco was headed. The young royal opened his mouth to make a remark, but his Vizier beat him to it.

"Shadi!! There's no call for personal attacks!" Siamun admonished.

"Well t' is the truth!" The bald priest defended his comment with a shrug. "He could not care less for the loss of a slave's life unless it affects him directly."

The other two priests – Karim and Mahaado – who had stood patiently off to the side watching intently as they waited for a clear victor to emerge before adding their comments, cringed at the vicious comment. The young ruler rolled his eyes skyward as a stream of disparaging insults issued from Akunadin's mouth after being provoked by Shadi's careless comment.

"Of all the fucking…!!! Who died and made you…you fucking…coward!!!"

"CEASE!!" Atemu roared over the melee.

It was time to end this nonsense. He didn't have the endurance to sit and listen to the ongoing, petty grievances that his high council held against each other. And he expressed this thought eloquently as he advised the five main combatants to resolve their differences before he did it for them. Each one of them bowed their heads contritely as he verbally boxed their ears for their pettiness.

Atemu understood that they all cared for each other in their own strange way and would stand together against anyone who dared utter a spiteful remark against any of others. But more often than not they would fight such as siblings did in order to gain his favor. And right now was really not the time. His mind was overloaded as it was. He didn't need their malicious comments to add to the burden.

As soon as he said what needed to be heard Atemu dismissed the council from his mind as they returned to their originally quiet discussion, his eyes drawn to the open balcony off the throne room. He couldn't place the feeling of discord but it wouldn't let his conscience rest. Having held the throne from the tender age of eleven he knew better than to ignore such a powerful feeling, but until he knew of the source there was nothing he could do but wait it out. And that was the hardest part.

No sooner had he again attempted to dismiss the foreboding feeling and a frantic knock sounded on the massive ornamental doors to the throne room, startling him out of his thoughts and he shook his head to clear it before bidding the person enter. The doors were thrown open with a resounding bang, catching the attention of everyone in the room and halting the newest argument in progress as Siamun and the priests looked on in shock.

"Pharaoh!" Marik – newly appointed head of the royal guard – raced into the room, and dropping to his knees bowed low before the council. Without waiting for the command to rise he raised his head and met Atemu's startled gaze with hardened violet eyes. "We have word of a massacre!"

"What?!" Atemu shot out of his seat. "Where?!"

Gods not again!

But before the young ruler could utter another word a second form shot into the room in a flurry of snow white hair and bronze skin, carrying what appeared to be a bundle wrapped in a bloodstained blanket. Without showing any sign of respect to either his ruler or the council the teen held the unconscious burden up for Atemu's appraisal.

"He is the only survivor." Marik exclaimed. "A child, really…"

Atemu flew down the steps to his friend's side, immediately assessing the child's frail condition. The boy had been stabbed in the stomach and it looked like he had very nearly bled out. There was so much blood; it almost coated the worn blanket in its entirety. The shaken royal found it amazing that the boy was yet clinging to life, so dire was his situation.

Bakura took a couple of deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Running all the way from the outskirts of town where he had been posing as a merchant before having stumbled across his find was no picnic and he was out of breath.

"Two of the soldiers found this boy…huddled in this blanket…on the outskirts of town. They thought him to be a thief or an orphan, but when they got close enough…It was…" The generally stoic former thief began to trip over his words in his haste to make his friend understand what had happened. "He said…he said…Otogi's village! It was Otogi's village!! It's been destroyed!"

Atemu froze completely; his hand pressed over the dying child's heart, as the words gradually sank into his brain. Otogi!! His friend! The foreign boy with green eyes who had appeared one day out of the desert and not long after risked his life to save him from an assassination attempt when he was only one harvest into his rule – a feat which earned the boy a place on his unofficial council along with Marik and Bakura.

The close friend who he had given blessing not six months ago to take a bride of Hyksos blood and live in one of the villages on the shared border of their lands.

No this couldn't be!

Atemu sprang into action, barking orders at the shocked group as he started backing towards the doors. "Isis, collect your most competent healers to see to this boy's welfare. Bakura, Marik gather a contingent of willing men and make ready for our departure. Siamun, Shadi, I need you to prepare the palace for my departure. Everyone else attend your duties as if this were just another day. We will meet in the throne room as Re passes halfway through his journey."

"Where are you going Your Highness?" Seto questioned, falling into step with Atemu.

Atemu turned his questioning gaze on Marik.

"The village that was attacked is a day's ride, on the Hyksos border." Marik replied, already knowing what his Pharaoh wanted without it having to be said.

"Very well, Seto that is where we are headed." Atemu glanced at the other to make sure he understood.

"Than I shall accompany you." Seto said as he bowed and walked away to gather his equipment for the journey.

"As will I." Mahaado added, bowing before sprinting off towards a different corridor.

"As you wish." Atemu called back. "But do not think to slow me down with your constant bickering. I have no issue with leaving the two of you behind."

A little further down the hall the rest of the group split into different directions, Atemu headed towards his personal chambers with a heavy heart. This was not the news they needed. His country had just gotten back into a state of normalcy after their most recent skirmish with the Hittites. And here he had thought them to be the cause of his distress! Now he found himself wishing that they were.

But this…now this was personal, one of his closest friends may have lost his life, if the news was to be believed. This heinous deed would not go unpunished. High council of countries be damned. They had never helped his country in times of need anyways – only condemned his actions after the fact.

Why did it feel like, lately, he had a large target tattooed on the middle of his back, right next to the one bearing the likeness of Re? Grumbling under his breath Atemu finished making his arrangements for the ride ahead, the thought of having lost another person he was close to clouding his reason. So help him if he found the person who was responsible. He could not be accountable for his actions!

The troubled royal slid his decorated sword from its scabbard, unable to take his eyes off of the way the rubies seemed to glow in the midmorning sunlight. It had been his father's sword before he died. And now, as he always did when forced to prepare for bloodshed, Atemu found himself wishing greatly that his dad were still among the living. Even though Siamun may have stepped into the mentor role with an ease born of familiarity, he couldn't fulfill the role of father that Atemu needed in times of difficulty.

With a forlorn sigh Atemu sheathed the precious heirloom and hastily exited the room. There was so much to be done to secure the palace in his absence, but he would not think of being left behind. It was his duty to lead his soldiers and his privilege to avenge the death of his friend.

As the group finally met back in the throne room after completing their assigned tasks the general mood fluctuated between a stunned despair and growing rage. Isis had informed them all that the boy had indeed given up his fight for life and now resided in the field of reeds along with the rest of his kin. But before he had gone the child imparted some very useful information. It was as they had assumed – Hyksos invaders. The child had described their royal insignia to a tee in a drawing that he had held so tightly in his clenched fist.

Atemu seethed inside. He had met the elder Hyksos king twice before when he was younger and managed even to eventually reach a tentative agreement of peace between their countries, although his personal dislike of the man caused him to be a little overbearing with the terms of that agreement. But that was over! Now that proclamation of peace was ended.

When he was finished with their sovereign there wouldn't even be enough left to toss to the jackals. And then he would incorporate the man's kingdom into his so that this situation would not arise again. He would avenge his people with as little violence as possible, just as he had before.

The group marched out of the palace. Standing at the top of the stairs Atemu slid his sword from the scabbard, raising it into the air. "We ride!!!"

A chorus of cheers met his statement and the thousand or so men who he kept on retainer all year round mounted their horses, setting out for the site of the massacre. Atemu followed suit, mounting up on his trusted white stallion that he had named Heba – for his continued love of any game that would capture his attention long enough to take his mind off the pressures of ruling a country.

Row by row the fully armed military marched out of the city and towards the lands bordering the kingdom of Hyksos gathering curious stares from the villagers as they paraded down the main road. Once out in the open plains the command was given to make haste and the dreary desert scenery passed by in a blur, not that Atemu or any of the others would have taken the time to look. Their thoughts were with their childhood friend who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The journey into the border village took nearly a day and a half, leaving Atemu wondering just how one lone boy had managed to make it to the royal city before he finally succumbed to his injuries. When they reached the place where the little village was to have been they found only rubble where there used to be homes. An eerie silence settled over the group as they gazed upon the wanton destruction.

A warm desert wind blew a couple of spindly tumble weeds through what should have been the main street as Atemu led his men towards the center of town, swords drawn in case of an ambush. But they needn't have worried, by the time they reached the village center it was apparent that the whole place was deserted other than a large pile of what looked to be charred human remains.

Atemu dismounted and made his way over to the macabre sight, his angular face drawn into a mask of rage and pain. It was true, everything that he had heard from Isis, Marik and Bakura. There were no survivors. His thoughts wandered back to the good times he had had evading his own personal guards in the company of Otogi, along with Marik and Bakura – a couple of petty thieves who he had met and befriended as a young prince and elevated to the ranks of his unofficial council when he became Pharaoh.

____________________

 

"Come on Atemu!" The green eyed boy whispered, waving his arms wildly.

"I am coming just hold your horses." A twelve year old Atemu whispered back just as quietly as he kept his concentration on his footing. It would hurt if he fell from this high up on the wall.

"Well then come on or we'll be seen!" Otogi hissed back, his eyes on the guard that was headed their direction.

The nimble footed royal finished scaling the outer wall and dropped into a crouch beside his friend barely daring to breathe as a guard marched past their hiding spot behind the potted plants only moments after he had made it.

"Where are we going anyways?" He whispered once the guard was out of hearing.

It wouldn't do them any good to alert the guards at this late a stage in the game. That would just ruin their fun. It was the two boys' intent to make it to the bazaar and back before anyone knew they were missing. This was the best part of the game. Sneaking out before anyone saw them and could reprimand them for being the immature kids they really were. Very rarely were they caught – although it had happened before.

"We're meeting Bakura and Marik by the first stall of the market – same thing we did last week. Then we just go wherever suits our tastes." Otogi shrugged as he slipped out from behind the pot and drew a hood over his jet black hair.

"You know what I mean smartass! Where are we going after we meet up with the gruesome twosome?" Atemu followed suit and the two of them crept off towards the bazaar. "I know you're planning something."

Otogi grinned back at him. "I was thinking we might visit that little brothel on the outskirts of town, you know the one I'm thinking of…"

Atemu smirked back. "I know you like her, but I don't know if you should go that far. Think of how many others have been there before you."

"I'm only going to look, you know that! I just want to see what they have to offer." Otogi waved him off.

"Mmm-hmm" Atemu hummed mischievously. The day promised fun if they could stay out of sight of the guards that were able to recognize them.

__________________________

 

The three of them, Marik, Otogi and Bakura had his eyes and ears outside of the palace. They could go where he could not. He trusted them implicitly to tell him of his citizens' welfare and treatment by those he had put in power. He had been sorely disappointed when Otogi had told him of his wish to leave the royal city and make his home in one of the outlying villages for his fiancé's comfort, but he had not denied him the request. Now he was wishing that he had.

Marik put a gentle hand on his shoulder, drawing him from his thoughts. "What do you need us to do Your Highness?"

"I know it would be beyond the possible…but I would still like to have them buried – even if it is not a normal entombment." Atemu replied softly. "He deserves a peaceful rest in the afterlife, as do the others. Do what you can…for all of them."

Marik rounded up willing men, having to turn down quite a few volunteers for so many were eager to help, and began handing out instructions as to the care and handling of the fragile remains. Those not chosen went about their normal duties of setting up camp. Atemu and Bakura worked silently among those selected for the chore of dealing with the remains, as did Seto, Mahaado and Marik. It was impossible to tell which one might have been their friend, but it mattered not, all the remains were treated with the respect that their society held for the departed.

And once they laid the last body into the ground, saying rites and prayers over the new graves, they turned their attention towards retribution. Atemu wanted to involve as little innocent people as possible. It had always been his way. He was more than willing to fight, but the risk of collateral damage had to be minimal. Especially when going up against a nation that had all but been enslaved by their recent monarch. Those poor souls had no involvement in this fight unless they refused to back down.

"This is how we will approach the situation." Atemu's voice rang out over the silence. Well into the night; stick in hand, the scarlet eyed royal laid out his careful plans for dealing with their newest enemy in the desert sand that had encroached on the far hill just outside the fallen village.


	2. Chapter 1

Three nights later, inside the Hyksos Palace:

Ryou sighed tiredly, settling his chin in his hand as he lounged sideways on the uncomfortable yet extravagantly decorated throne. It was well past midnight and yet none of them had been able to sleep –again. These late night emergency conferences were becoming a rather obnoxious part of their daily routine.

The six of them originally tried to deal with one catastrophe at a time, right up until they had all piled up and the group found that, much to their dismay, nothing had been accomplished in the first place. Now they were right back where they started, with a couple of additional complications as a bonus prize.

A piece of flyaway hair tickled his nose and he absently brushed the snowy strand away with a sigh. Why couldn't anything in life be simple?

The doe-eyed teen tapped his fingers against the throne in vexation while his thoughts wandered to the precarious dilemma they now found themselves in. This was not what he had imagined of their lives once their king died – not that he was saddened by the loss, exactly. It just wasn't what he expected.

And most of it was due to one person in particular, a certain someone who just refused to cooperate, to believe in himself. Irritated russet eyes darted to the diminutive figure of his friend in accusation, as the young man repeatedly paced the lower floor in front of the dais, oblivious to his friend's thoughts.

Gathered around a hastily set up table on the lower level in front of the throne sat four other teens – one girl and several boys – all dressed in their night clothes, their weapons discarded on the cluttered table, and each one of them following that same slender figure's progress back and forth across the expanse of the high domed room with mirrored expressions of understanding and sympathy.

It wasn't fair that the past two weeks worth of calamity had been dumped squarely on their friend's already overburdened shoulders.

"Don't worry so much. It'll be fine I'm sure of it." Ryou attempted to console his aggravated companion as he hid another yawn behind his hand. "It just looks worse than it is 'cause we're all tired."

"Wha?!" The smaller teen stopped short and turned to gape at him before throwing his hands into the air in a gesture of exasperation. "No it doesn't! I wasn't meant for this…this life…it wasn't meant to go to me! And now everyone is gone… I'm surprised no one's revolted yet, that's the only thing left…you guys…I love you, but you don't know anymore about this than I do! I don't know what to say…how to act…what do I do…? This was their life! Not mine! Not me!! I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!"

The slender youth's last words had risen in tone as well as volume and the aggravated manner in which they were spoken made each of other teens blink in surprise. The turbulent emotion that was clearly evident in his voice had, up until that point, always been held at bay behind a polite, caring smile. Now all that pent up frustration was in danger of boiling over and all they could do was sit on the sidelines and watch.

"Oh gods, the people are going to murder me before we can find a capable replacement." The frustrated new king finished, scrubbing at his face with his hands. "We need to get those letters out to the high councilors. They would know who to name as the new king.

Anzu smiled thoughtfully as she gazed at her friend. "Yugi, I wish you would reconsider. I think you will make a great–"

"Don't say it!" The teen called Yugi interrupted as he held a hand up to ward off the words he didn't want to hear. "I swear to all the high gods. Just don't."

They had been over this conversation time and time again in the past couple of weeks. And Yugi didn't feel up to explaining himself yet again. He couldn't do this. He wasn't knowledgeable enough to be responsible for an entire country. If it weren't for his grandfather he wouldn't have even had any education to speak of. He was no good with public speaking – the list went on and on and he was sick of rehashing the same argument over and over again.

He would turn the kingdom over to the high council of countries so that the Hyksos people could finally have the life they deserved. It was the least he could do after his father's tyrannical reign. And then he could live out the rest of his days in a normal, peaceful little village somewhere, just as he had always dreamed of. No riches, no difficult decisions that would affect other people, no threats of war, just him, his grandfather, the rest of his friends if they wished.

If he could hold out until help arrived, that is.

"– Okay…I won't say it. Just so you know, though, you really would. We all think that." The lady capitulated, holding her hands up in surrender.

Yugi went back to his pacing while the others around the table nodded, each with murmurs of agreement. It was a pity that their friend was afraid to take this life and run with it. He could be the greatest ruler their nation ever had. They all agreed on that point. The boy was kind – almost to a fault – generous, fair-minded, and yet still held the understanding that those who did wrong deserved punishment.

Their friend wouldn't shirk his duties, as his older brother might have done. And he would be nothing like his father.

But convincing the young royal of that when he had heard all his life that he was absolutely useless, well, it wasn't going well at all. The task was nigh impossible. And tonight their young friend had worked himself into an absolute fit stressing over all the problems that he faced this early into what was supposed to be his reign.

"Stop worrying over it, Yugi." The blonde boy seated at the end of the table spoke up. "You're better than they are! You can do this!"

Yugi turned a half-hearted glare on his shaggy-haired friend. "Enough Jou. It's not right to speak ill of the dead…and I'm not, if you want the gods' honest truth."

Jou pounded his fist on the table in a show of anger, startling everyone in the room and causing the exhausted white haired teen to jerk backwards and smack the back of his head on the throne. Ryou discreetly rubbed at his aching head as he aimed a glare at his boisterous friend.

"Bullshit! You call it as you see it! And as I see it it's true." The blonde retorted as he stood up to face his friend's angry gaze head on. "They made your life hell, right along with everyone else in the country. Now you have the chance to make it right –"

"It doesn't matter –" Yugi stalked forward, intent on standing up for his decision for the last time.

"Hold right where you are!" The six teens froze at the sound of the menacing voice.

Yugi whirled around to face the unexpected intruder, drawing his sword from its casing only to realize with a fading hope that they were completely surrounded by a score of brawny soldiers whose armor he knew he should recognize, but for the life of him, could not.

Damn it! The small teen cringed as he backed away. He knew better than to have sent out most of his personal security to cover for the absent city guards. All he had left were Ryou, Jou, Malik, Anzu and Honda, and although they were good at wielding weapons in his defense, they weren't good enough to take on this many intruders all at once.

Once again the small royal bemoaned his lot in life. Why had his father and brother taken half of their forces on that failed excursion against Persia?! It had left him no choice but to scatter what was left of their troops around the city to keep the peace until more soldiers could be recruited. Now he and the others were in deep trouble and the only other people who would realize it were the palace servants.

Like they could be of much help if they even wanted to be.

The group of cornered teens snatched up their discarded weapons and tightened ranks around their new leader. Jou and Honda moved in close to Yugi's side just as Anzu and Malik moved into position to protect his back, a deadly look in their eyes as they stared down the enemy.

Ryou bounded down from the throne with a snarl and placed himself directly between his new king and this latest threat, an ornamental dagger pointed at the large intruder who had managed to get a little to near to the group for his comfort. The man backed up hastily just out of reach of the sharply pointed weapon, unwilling to become the first casualty of the night.

Their country's hopes and dreams rested on the shoulders of this one young royal who had been the unwanted product of a union between the king and a Persian princess whom he had kidnapped and forced into marriage. Shunned from birth by anyone of consequence, their new sovereign had wanted absolutely nothing to do with his rightful heritage even as they were fighting for him to keep it.

The white haired teen snorted as he thought about that sad reality. Yugi had never been meant to take the throne, his father and older brother despising him from the time they realized that he would always be of a small and – they thought – delicate nature. In truth Yugi had more courage than both of his murderous kin put together, although it rarely showed due to the obvious hatred his young friend had encountered on all sides.

Both the young royal's bloodline and small stature were taken into account when residents of the palace gazed upon him, not willing to look past the faults that he couldn't control and into whom he really was.

It was only thanks to the teen's maternal grandfather, who had given up his own Persian royal heritage to ensure that his daughter was treated decently even in captivity, that Yugi had any kind of normal upbringing at all. The old man was a veritable shrew when it came to nasty remarks concerning his only grandchild, defending the boy with everything that he had.

As would he, if it came to that. Which, Ryou rather hoped it wouldn't, for he wasn't quite so sure he wanted to die yet.

Jou had the same thoughts as he reached out and touched a comforting hand to his smaller friend's shivering form, facing down their adversaries with a glare of his own. He and the others would be damned if someone else was going to come in here and take over – placing their countrymen right back in the position that they had just gotten out of not more than two weeks ago.

They had enough problems right now, what with Yugi's disbanding of the original council that his father kept due to the obvious greed of its members, their missing army, the villagers' continued unrest, the teen's grandfather's long absence and Yugi's steadfast refusal to even think of keeping the throne for himself. They didn't need this on top of it!

"His Royal Highness Pharaoh Atemu, ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt! All hail the Pharaoh!" One of the invaders announced in a booming voice, drawing everyone's attention to the entryway.

Yugi closed his eyes in despair, a shudder running the length of his spine. Oh gods, why now? What had he done to warrant the attention of the warrior king of Egypt?! He could be sure this wasn't a friendly visit. He had heard tales of the war-loving king with divine abilities ever since he was nothing but a toddler. Stories of unprovoked attacks and raids into peaceful, sleeping villages his father and brother would recite to him at night in an attempt to toughen him up – not that that ever worked.

And now here he was meeting this menace face to -

Movement at the entryway caused young king to peer around Ryou's shoulders curiously in order to get a good look at the one person even his father had been afraid of. As he watched the procession of what looked like priests and higher advisors Yugi realized with a sinking heart that these next few moments would probably be his last on this earth.

He wouldn't even be allowed the chance to give up the throne voluntarily.

Two by two the procession marched gracefully into the room, as if out on a midnight stroll. The first pair of men was merely higher soldiers – as was the second pair. The third duo, though, held the young ruler's undivided attention with their strikingly different, and menacing, appearances.

One dressed in the robes of a commoner, with hair of the softest white, contrasting severely with his narrowed eyes of the darkest night. The second man dressed in the colors of a royal guard with hair of the lightest blonde and slanted eyes of violet that held a malicious glint.

Once the unusual pair made their way fully into the room they spared a mocking glance for the pitiful group huddled within, passing whispered comments back and forth which had both bursting out into raucous laughter as they presented the group with the sharp points of their swords.

Marik laughed when the group tensed as one. "Aww, look at the little play toys he left behind for us Bakura. Won't they make a nice addition to the ones we have at home?"

The white haired thief nodded with a vicious grin, picking up on his friend's frequently used intimidation tactic. "Why I think that's an excellent idea, ol' buddy of mine. We'll have to ask Atemu if we can keep 'em."

Yugi swallowed thickly as he closed his eyes, murmuring a brief prayer. If only there was a way to make sure his friends didn't share in his fate. It was his fault they were in this mess. He never should have allowed them to try and convince him to keep the throne. If he had held his ground earlier they wouldn't even be here right now.

But no, he had to start to believe that he just might be good enough. Well, right up until the near riot this afternoon. Now it was too late. There had to be some way to keep his friends out of this fight!

But before he could even consider forming a plan two more men paraded into the room, both wearing colorful robes signifying their priestly status – one with eyes of such an icy blue that the small king couldn't keep from shuddering at the piercing glare that was thrown in their direction.

He turned his eyes to the second person in order to take his mind off of the icy look that promised retribution. The second priest kept whatever hair he had well hidden beneath a crisp white turban, the mysterious yet kindly brown eyes that stared back at them so calmly doing nothing to ease Yugi's growing anxiety.

After a few moments of silence, when no one else came through the archway, it seemed the procession was over. Yugi drew an unsteady breath and blinked. Where was The Pharaoh himself? Could he have been one of the men who had already entered the room – perhaps the one with the wise and somewhat understanding expression? If so did that mean they had a chance at bargaining with the man for their lives?

"Looking for me?" A menacing baritone voice whispered from behind them, dashing what was left of the young regent's hope as Honda was dragged away from the rest of the group – a knife resting casually against his throat.

Startled the group broke ranks before reforming, never taking their eyes off of their opponent as they squeezed Yugi back in the middle for his safety. They leveled their swords at the enemy as if daring them to come any closer, the look in their eyes saying they were ready and willing to fight if it came down to it.

"Why are you here? What do you want from us?!" The young king shouted over his friends, elbowing Jou in the side in a failed attempt to move him out of the way, the tremor in his voice apparent to each and every single person in the room.

Locking eyes with the one who had spoken out, Atemu gave a victorious smirk but said nothing in hopes of the usual admission of guilt that happened when the enemy realized they were outnumbered and outclassed by his forces.

Jou immediately shushed his younger friend, pushing him back into the center of the guarded ring and Yugi stomped on his foot in retaliation causing him to hiss in pain.

"Let me handle this Yugi." He whispered.

"No, it's my responsibility." Yugi replied just as softly. "I don't want you to get hurt!"

Jou glanced back at his smaller friend with a wry grin. "Oh now you understand your responsibility, huh? Well I always knew what mine was, my king. And that is to protect you."

Yugi blanched at the reminder of Jou's position in the hierarchy. But he didn't get the chance to make a comment as they found their discussion forcefully interrupted.

"Where is King Hasim?"

The arrogant tone did nothing to put the teens at ease and Jou was the first to respond. "He's not here! Whaddya want with him?" The blonde snapped as he turned to face the man who had spoken, leaving Yugi enough room to finally get a good look at who they were up against.

Yugi gasped as he caught his first glimpse of the man whose title alone would set even seasoned soldiers to quaking in their boots. Never would he have imagined…The person who had haunted his worst nightmares was…well, he was stunning – and young. And did he mention absolutely stunning?! The young king shook his head and risked another glance only to find himself unable to look away.

The Egyptian royal was absolutely breathtaking. Dark, sun-kissed skin, angular jaw, exotically slanted ruby eyes set beneath two gracefully arched brows. And from what Yugi could see, what wasn't hidden underneath the heavy chain-mail and leather armor, the youthful Pharaoh had a slender, lightly muscled figure that truly wasn't much taller than he was.

That detail in itself gave the young king pause as he tried to figure out how someone so young, so petite could be classified as a demonic tyrant, a ruthless killer of countless innocent people. It took Yugi a moment to realize that those striking ruby jewels were directed right at him, in absolute rage, and he shrank back from the scorching glare with a new understanding of fear.

"I will ask one more time…where is your king?!" Atemu tightened his grip on the man in his arms, forcing the knife to dig a little deeper as he stared directly into frightened amethyst eyes. Honda gasped in pain as a trickle of blood ran down the side of his neck. When nothing other than stunned silence met his comment he snapped "My patience grows short."

The Egyptian ruler knew from previous altercations of a similar nature how to tell when his adversary was beginning to have thoughts of giving in. He had seen it before, as his opponents' eyes dimmed when they realized there was no other possible way out, just as it looked to be the case here.

His best shot to get through this with as little bloodshed as possible was held in those terrified, innocent amethyst eyes peering out at him from behind the blonde. They were the key to the others' resistance. But until the little one broke the stand-off would continue, so Atemu forced his hand with a small movement of the knife to make it seem as if he would slit his prisoner's throat then and there.

"NO!! Don't! He's dead! What do you want from us?!" Yugi cried, unable to watch as his friend died before his very eyes.

The Egyptian ruler smirked momentarily as the boy fell into his trap, but the pleased expression faltered as he quickly realized what was said. He then blasted the group with a fiery glare, one that had left lesser men pissing in their pants, making it quite clear he was not amused. At all.

It was time to go to plan B. An imperceptible shake of his head told his men that it was time to end this before it got out of hand.

Atemu had noted their lack of experience when he had taken his prisoner earlier. And he used it to his advantage as he captured their full attention with his demands. While their concentration was on the Pharaoh, Bakura and the rest of the Egyptians found an opening and moved in to separate them.

The confrontation was over in the blink of an eye, one moment the defending teens were huddled in a tight formation with Yugi in the center, the next they found themselves each struggling in the arms of one of the Pharaoh's men, weapons nowhere near their reach. And not one of them had even seen it coming.

The scarlet eyed royal nodded his appreciation to the men who had anticipated his unspoken wish to end this altercation without bloodshed.

"Tsk, tsk, you should learn to answer when spoken to boy." Seto chided as he wrapped the frenzied blonde's arms behind his back with one arm, the other one wrapped around his throat nearly cutting off the boy's oxygen.

"Let me –" Jou wheezed.

"–go!"

"Leave us –!" Anzu stomped on her keeper's foot, his howl of pain adding to the chaos.

"–hands off me!"

Having lost what little patience he had with the defiant group, Atemu rounded on them with a snarl. "SILENCE!!!"

Once stillness reigned the Egyptian monarch handed his slightly injured captive over to Mahaado for safe keeping. He paced the room, glaring at each one of the teens who had so foolishly attempted to play hero for reasons only they knew, as he gathered his thoughts. If the old man hadn't ordered the attack, then who had?! Or was this a ruse to throw him off track?

As Atemu glanced around with a dawning realization, his eyes were drawn to the same naive amethyst that he had seen peeking out at him from behind one of the other's shoulders during the earlier confrontation. Had he not been so pissed off he might have actually been intrigued by the alluring face that showcased the gorgeous eyes. But at this moment he was too enraged to see past the fact that the only people in the entire palace were…

"– children?!" Marik scoffed as he attempted to subdue a struggling Malik. "Why would they leave children to guard the throne?"

"I am not a –"

"Is this some type of joke?!" Bakura cut the blonde's words off as he pulled tight on Ryou's hair, wrenching his head back and causing the younger teen to squeak in discomfort, but the brave teen refused to give his look-alike the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

Atemu quickly assessed the situation, taking the measure of his prisoners as he carefully weighed each of the options open to him. Option one was to kill them all. But that left a bad taste in his mouth.

As often as he was vilified by the high council of countries for his retribution tactics he had never developed the taste for spilling the blood of youth or innocence. The thought of killing them had been bad enough when he thought them to be only misguided villagers, but now that he knew... Atemu shook his head.

The second option was to scare the truth out of them. If their king was truly dead, then one of these boys was heir to the throne, he would bet his title as Pharaoh on it. And he wanted to know which one, along with how much they knew.

"How long?" He snapped in a deadly voice, staring directly into the eyes of the child that he had terrified so thoroughly with his earlier display of force.

Yugi shivered at the harsh manner in which the older monarch had spoken to him. He had heard that tone so often whenever he had been spoken to by his father that he knew he should have been immune to it, but it didn't matter. That, coupled with the condemnation in those fiery eyes was too much for him to take. If this man was here to take over the throne why hadn't he killed them already? What was he waiting for?

"How long damn it?!" Atemu snatched the shivering teen from the soldier's grip and pinned him against the wall with his body, the dagger at his throat. The slender figure fit so perfectly against his that, for a second, the bemused Egyptian royal lost his composure before he reined his thoughts in by sheer force of will. "How long has he been dead?!"

Yugi valiantly struggled to form an answer that the other, more powerful sovereign would accept. It didn't matter what he said, he knew his life was forfeit once it was learned that he was the new king. It should have been over now if what he had heard all his life was true. Why were he and the others not dead yet?

"Leave him alone!" The others chorused as they renewed their fight for freedom.

"Back off him asshole!" Malik shouted into the fray.

"Silence! I am speaking to the little one here." Atemu snarled at the group before turning his sole attention on the trembling form he held in his grasp, gaining a beseeching look from the child for his tone. Those eyes were going to be the death of him. "Answer me whelp or I will run you through and toss your body into the street."

"T-two w-weeks…please…l-leave my friends o-out of this. Th-they've done nothing to you!" Yugi stuttered.

"If your king is truly dead who is the new king?" Atemu ignored the plea as he continued to bombard the smaller teen with questions.

Yugi opened his mouth to answer but he found himself unable to push the words past the lump in his throat. He didn't want to die yet. He had just started to live. "P-please…"

"The white haired child was sitting on the throne when we walked in." One of the guards supplied.

"Is this true?" Atemu tightened his grip on the blade, drawing blood. When no answer was forthcoming from his speechless captive he dug a little deeper. "Is this true?!"

Yugi opened his mouth in an attempt to speak…

"Stop!!!" Ryou yelled from where he was struggling against Bakura. "I am the king you seek."

That foolish comment gave the young king the courage to come out with the truth. "N-no, I am" Yugi countered swiftly, hoping that he had spoken in time to save the other teen from dying violently at the hands of this madman. Oh gods what was Ryou thinking?! He couldn't let his friend die for him.

"Stop protecting me! I am the king!" Honda joined in, his loud words turning every head in the room.

Anzu broke out into large tears, sobbing loudly. "None of them is speaking the truth. They are all trying to protect me Your Highness. I am the princess."

"That's not true! I am!!" Yugi shouted in an effort to be heard above the others, but his voice wasn't nearly as loud as theirs. Yet he continued to hope that someone would heed his words as the noise level grew out of control.

The room quickly became a maelstrom of confusion and disorder as each of the captives, including the one that he held, tried to out-shout each other's claim to the throne. Atemu stepped away from his prisoner in frustration, releasing the boy back into the care of the soldier who had held him earlier, before he rubbed the bridge of his nose in an effort to quell the rapidly approaching headache.

"Silence!" He roared, clenching his fists against the need to knock some sense into the six teens.

These kids were infuriating! Did they not realize that it was in their best interest to not lie to him? Eyes flashing the Egyptian royal stalked back over to stand in front of the one person he had been able to frighten into giving information earlier, at least until the white haired boy had spoken. As he loomed over the smallest of the rag-tag group of teens he snapped out his question between tightly gritted teeth.

"Who. Is. Your. Rightful. King?"

Yugi dropped his gaze, unable to stand the censure in those eyes. "I am." He said quietly. He should have told the truth earlier. Now he was unsure of whether the other would believe him or not. But he had to try. His friends' lives depended on his ability to convince the imposing monarch of the truth.

The others loudly mimicked the boy's words once again, leaving Atemu to rethink his tactics. He had his suspicions as to who was the true king. But he wanted confirmation first, before he acted on his beliefs. Right now nothing was going as it should have. Sure the group of children before him was shaking in collective fear, but Atemu had no doubt that they would protect whoever was the rightful ruler to the end.

The exasperated Egyptian royal snorted as he turned away, dismissing the group from his sight. "I have a solution to this nonsense. Separate them and confine each to a room on the upper level. We will settle this in a different manner."

At Seto's questioning look Atemu gave him one that spoke clearly of his irritation. Taking that as his cue, the blue-eyed priest signaled to the others that it was time to take their leave.

No sooner than the silent exchange was completed and Yugi found himself hoisted up onto the shoulders of his captor. The slender royal kicked and punched, trying everything he could think of to get out of his degrading position, but to no avail. It didn't seem that his struggles slowed his keeper's pace by even a step as he was carted ignominiously from the room along with the rest of his friends.


	3. Chapter 2

Once the room was finally quiet, Atemu dropped into one of the vacant chairs surrounding the table with a heartfelt groan. He exhaled deeply through his nose as he reached under his helmet to rub at his temples in an effort to quell the piercing headache that had come on not long ago. Had he needed to question those kids for much longer one or all would have met with death at his frustrated hands.

At this moment in time he could have cheerfully killed them all without a second thought. And yet, here he was considering alternative methods of sorting through the matter. Why was that? An irritated frown graced his features. It would have been simpler to dispatch them one by one, starting with the four that he knew, for a fact, were not who he was searching for.

Once again the image of terrified amethyst eyes came to his mind and he pushed them away with a snort. They held no sway over him.

“The prisoners are secure…Is something wrong Your Highness?” Seto questioned, minutes later, as he approached his sovereign with a bow. Mahaado, only a couple of paces behind him, dropped into a deep bow as well.

“I simply cannot deal with them right now without wanting to teach them their place.” Atemu sighed, his fingers wandering to his brow in an attempt to massage away the lancing pain. Even the weak candlelight hurt his eyes now. “Why do we not look for clues that would tell us who the rightful heir to the throne is instead of depending on their word alone? I would truly hate to kill the one responsible for Otogi’s death without him knowing – and regretting – his actions.”

That would be too easy. He wanted his friend’s murderer not only to die, but to depart this life in complete and utter agony, lamenting the day that he dared conceive a plan that involved the Egyptian empire and Atemu himself. Only then would his vengeance be satisfied – and not a moment sooner.

“And then what Your Highness? Are you just going to dispose of them and dictate to the Hyksos people that you are their new king?” Mahaado inquired with a frown, watching his king’s pained expressions closely. “This country is merely days from rebellion as it is. Would it be logical to ask our people to fight for a cause not their own?”

Atemu dropped his hands to the table and shot the high priest a horrified look. “I-I had not thought about it that way.”

Mahaado blinked at the edgy response, his eyes searching Atemu’s face. Recognizing the pinched, desperate look that contorted the teenage ruler’s features for what it was the brown-eyed priest asked quietly to be dismissed. Once Atemu waved him away he made his way out of the room with the intention of searching through his bags for a potion to ease his Pharaoh’s suffering.

“Then what are your plans Your Highness?” Seto questioned as Mahaado slipped silently from the room.

“I am not sure yet what I intend to do. I had thought to dispose of any royalty and proclaim Hyksos for Egypt. But their situation is worse than I had first believed…” Once again Atemu’s hands wandered to his head in an attempt to relieve his pain. “…We shall have to help ease the people’s plight before we assert our authority. If nothing else I shall leave an emissary behind to see to their needs until we can come up with a more permanent solution.”

The blue-eyed priest tipped his head in thought before shrugging outright. “I suppose you are right…in any case we have at least some time to sort this out before anyone notices that something’s amiss. I shall leave you to your thoughts while I attempt to find Bakura and Marik – they should have returned by now.”

Atemu nodded stiffly in concurrence as the brunette bowed his way out of the room, before laying his head down on his folded hands. As bad as his headache was now it was nothing compared to what it would be had he not had the foresight to leave the bulk of his troops well outside of the royal city, taking only the twenty or so men he trusted implicitly to ensure entry into the nearly deserted palace. They didn’t need the widespread panic that surely would have surfaced had he led the entire army into their midst.

When first he witnessed the deteriorated condition of the Hyksos people’s welfare, not far into their journey, the decision was made to complete this task with stealth and secrecy rather than force and violence. He had no true desire for this to turn into an all out war, with too many casualties on both sides. There had already been enough fighting in his few years on the throne. No reason for more blatant hostilities when the matter could be resolved by other means.

Against his will Atemu found his thoughts straying, once again, to those wide amethyst eyes and a soft, slender body that fit so nicely against his frame. The terror filled look that crossed those expressive features when he held the child at knifepoint had made him feel quite like the heathen he was known for being. What on earth was he going to do with those children?

“So now what?” Bakura questioned abruptly as he entered the throne room, Marik sauntering along at his side, with Seto not too far behind.

“Can we keep them?” Marik queried with an eager look on his face.

Seto rolled his eyes as Atemu, who had nearly jumped out of his seat at their boisterous entrance, settled his head back in his hands.

“Yeah, that little look-alike of mine needs to be taught some manners and I would be more than willing to do the job!” Bakura cackled gleefully, before covering his mouth with his hand at Atemu’s glower.

“That remains to be seen! For now we search for something that would give us the identity of their new king. If what the young one said is true, the man I thought responsible for Otogi’s demise is not capable of the deed. So that leaves us with the task of finding out who is.” Atemu replied brusquely as he covered his ears to block out Bakura’s obnoxious laughter. “Bakura, take Marik and search the library, there should be a portrait of the loving family somewhere. Seto, you take the study. I’ll go through what they left on the table here. Everyone else spread out – search the entire palace.”

The trio eyed each other hesitantly at their ruler’s clipped response. It was well known among them that Atemu frequently fell victim to intense headaches that would virtually incapacitate him for hours. And it seemed as though one was holding him in its vise-like grip now.

“Pharaoh –” Mahaado materialized from the entryway, a goblet in his hand. “Drink this. It will help with the pain.”

“Thank you Mahaado.” Atemu acknowledged, more than gratefully, as he reached for the glass. Once he drained it he turned an eye on the group that had gathered. “Do you not have a task to complete?”

“Yes my Pharaoh.”

Each of the men, with the exception of Bakura who strolled away with his hands behind his back, bowed their way out of the room as they went about their duties, leaving Atemu alone to idly ponder the opulent throne room as he waited for his friend’s elixir to kick in.

The Egyptian ruler glanced around in the candle light as he took off his helmet and laid it aside, his unusual tricolor hair springing back up into its normal wayward spikes despite the heat; taking note of the jewels and riches that adorned all of the overly cushioned, almost fussy furnishings, as well as the priceless artifacts that were scattered casually about the room. The elaborately painted schemes that decorated the walls were enough to make him cringe in distaste.

It was a pity. For what he had seen of the countryside as well as the royal city left much to be desired. And yet what he had seen of the palace seemed not to be lacking in anything of value. How could these people live like this, knowing that half of their populace was dying of starvation? And the other half wasn’t too far behind. As a ruler were you not supposed to take care of your people?

He snorted in disgust, dismissing the former Hyksos leader’s hypocrisy as he settled in to read a document that had been casually left on the table, only to set it aside a moment later as insignificant and reach for another. Headache finally restrained by Mahaado’s special potion, he scanned the contents of the intriguing memo. He was nearly halfway through when he heard a distinctive screech from above.

“Horus”

Atemu promptly dropped the paper back onto the pile in favor of watching the hawk circle overhead. The tawny colored bird never failed to fascinate him with its grace and beauty and now was no exception. After a moment’s consideration he stretched out his leather covered arm so his friend could land.

Only minutes before his confrontation with the frustrating teens he had sent the faithful hawk out with a message to his troops that they had made it safely inside the palace. For him to be returning so soon meant that all was well outside of the city walls, just as Atemu had hoped. He depended on this small, but deadly creature nearly as much as he did Marik and Bakura – and had yet to be let down by any of them. Which was more than he could say for those who were in his employ.

As the magnificent beast prepared for landing, Atemu caught sight of an unknown object that was clamped firmly in his beak. But the astonished royal was unprepared for the token that his childhood friend had brought back as a broken white dove landed abruptly on top of the paperwork that he was in the process of sorting through with a dull thud.

“Son of a –!”

With a grimace Atemu reached out to pluck the offering off the table, noticing as he did so that the dead bird had a piece of papyrus attached to its leg. He untied the letter and held it up to the light so that he could make out the scrawled words. A slow grin worked its way across his face as he scanned the contents of the letter. This was definitely worth the unexpected – and not so welcome – present.

Setting the letter off to the side Atemu patted the hawk on his head. “Thank you my friend. I owe you dearly for this.”

Little over an hour later, Bakura stomped into the room as he dusted off his robes. “The only portrait I found was of the old tyrant himself – and a miniature of some lady with purple eyes holding a baby. Other than that I would say this place needs a good cleaning. That library hasn’t been used in the last millennia or so. Damn cobwebs everywhere!”

Having said his piece the white haired thief flopped down unceremoniously in a chair next to a smirking Atemu. He eyed the grinning monarch with a touch of suspicion before reaching out to tug on a piece of blonde hair that fell over the king’s eyes, knowing that the other hated it when he did that. “What gives Atemu? I tell you I got nothing and you’re grinning like a cat that ate the canary. Feeling better?”

“Very much so…Listen to this.” Atemu held up the first of two pieces of parchment that were sitting in front of him as he slapped away the other’s hand, tucking the lock of stray hair behind his ear and smoothing the ruby tinted black spikes down in an ineffective gesture before clearing his throat to read the note aloud.

“Dear Prince Yugi…Grandson, I have managed to collect most of your father’s troops. His body, as well as that of your brother’s shall arrive home shortly. I have also managed to gain an audience with the Persian King and he is just as oblivious as I am as to why your father would attack his borders like he had. But he swears that he was not the one to end his life. I am following up on a couple of leads here, with the help of an old friend of mine. Hope this letter finds you well. Do your best to stay safe. There is something suspicious about our current predicament. Love, Solomon.”

When he was finished reciting the letter Atemu dropped it back onto the table as he lounged back in the chair, his hands interlaced behind his head and a malevolent smirk adorning his features. “What do you think?”

With a grin reminiscent of a shark’s, Bakura snickered. “So the old bastard really is dead?! I think we need to speak with this Prince Yugi.”

“My thoughts exactly. But before we do so, take a look at this missive. It is addressed to the High Council of Countries, a plea for help.” Atemu picked up the second paper and handed it over to the other for his perusal. “It sounds to me like our young Prince had no grand desire to be king.”

Bakura whistled in awe as he read over the politely worded but urgent request, as well as the list of reasons for such action. Not that many people would give up their throne for the good of their people. Not even Atemu was that selfless. “Do you think there’s a chance this is a diversion?”

“I doubt it, although there is that possibility. Which means we need to cut this short.” Atemu replied as he rose gracefully from the chair. “Go fetch the others. Explain that we have found information of value. We will need to deal with the children one more time. There is more to this situation than meets the eye, perhaps another participant that we had no prior knowledge of.”

“The question is, did they?” The white haired thief pushed himself out of the chair at Atemu’s supportive nod and made his exit with the intention of finding the others.

“That is what I aim to find out…” Atemu thought out loud to the empty room.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It seemed like hours had passed since he had been dumped into this lavish bedchamber, the door locked securely behind him. But Yugi knew that it had not been that long, as the light had yet to touch the sky to indicate that it was daybreak. He spared another longing glance out at the darkened horizon before resuming his pacing, silently berating himself for his earlier display of fear in the presence of the exotic Egyptian monarch.

His behavior was reprehensible, irresponsible and, worse yet, did absolutely nothing to aid the situation! But never in his life had he felt so powerless, so insignificant! Not even his father’s threats had the ability to reduce him to a quivering, incoherent mess as the intimidating Pharaoh had. And that was with the force of his voice and eyes alone, well before the Egyptian ruler had ever laid a hand on him.

An irritated screech echoed around the room as Yugi tugged at his complicated braids in frustration, reining his thoughts back to the problem at hand. What was going to become of them? Would they live to see the glorious sunrise that had yet to appear?

If only he knew what had drawn the other sovereign into his territory in the first place, then perhaps he could use whatever it was as a bargaining chip against the intimidating Egyptian. It was obvious that they hadn’t known about his father’s death, judging by the Pharaoh’s stunned expression, so they certainly weren’t here to take over the kingdom in this moment of vulnerability.

But if that wasn’t the reason they stormed the palace, then what was?!

Without first gaining his consent his thoughts turned towards the Pharaoh himself. The man was nothing but a bundle of enigmatic contradictions. Intimidating, commanding, well built, drop-dead gorgeous – Yugi stopped in his tracks at that irrational outlook for a moment before rubbing at his newly acquired, though slight, injury with a groan of disapproval.

What was the point in reflecting on that meaningless little detail?!

The man was reputed to be one of the most lethal warriors of their era. His looks didn’t matter in the slightest! By all rights the Egyptian monarch should have marched in and killed him and everyone else in the room without question, as his reputation demanded.

Why the interrogation? What purpose could that possibly serve? What was it they needed to know before they did away with him and the others? That was what was going to happen, wasn’t it?! They were all going to die?

Clutching at his stomach, he dropped to his knees as he felt the bile rise in his throat. There had to be a way to keep his friends safe, there had to be. If he couldn’t find it, though, they were all…

As he attempted to keep from tasting what little dinner he had eaten for a second time the door to the room was thrown open with a resounding bang. And Yugi was given no further opportunity to consider the subject as one of the brawny soldiers from earlier entered the chamber, searching the room for his whereabouts. A grin split his mulish features as he spotted his target and made a move to grab for him.

Narrowly avoiding the grasping fingers, Yugi lurched to his feet and darted across the room, grabbing whatever was handy to use as a weapon against whatever the man had in mind. The first one – a lit candle that had been sitting innocuously on a bedside table – glanced off the side of the soldier’s arm and he yelped in pain, stomping on the floor to put out what was left of the flame as he aimed a sidelong glare at the defiant teen.

Another projectile answered his angry glance and again the man had to duck to avoid the well-aimed missile. Slightly more confident now that he had injured his attacker, Yugi reached out for a third piece off of the table but found himself caught up short as the man grabbed him from behind and tossed him over a broad shoulder, ending his rebellion with an efficiency honed from years of training in the Egyptian military.

“Hey! Release me!! You big cretin, let me go!” Yugi screeched in humiliation as he was once again thrown around as though he was nothing more than a sack of grain. The soldier ignored his protests and carried him out of the room kicking and screaming.

The young king found himself free of the soldier’s attentions once they made it back into the throne room only to be roughly tossed into one of the high-backed chairs that someone had lined up in a neat row, before being securely bound with strips of white linen apparently cut up just for that purpose.

The young king opened his mouth to give his captors a piece of his mind but his jaw hit the floor when he caught sight of the Egyptian Pharaoh minus his helmet and armor trappings.

Their looks were somewhat similar, especially their hair, but not enough to keep his attention due to that alone. Had he thought the Egyptian ruler to be gorgeous before?! Dressed only in a sheathe-like shenti that showed off most of his slender legs, his chest and shoulders bare but for the heavy collar and chest plate, the scarlet-eyed Pharaoh was nothing short of exquisite.

And that was before the Egyptian royal turned his back on the room to confer with one of the other men. A large, intricate tattoo of a golden dragon started up around his shoulder blades, covering nearly his entire, well-defined back to end somewhere hidden underneath the gauzy cotton of his shenti. The artwork was simply amazing.

Caught off guard by the stunning vision, Yugi groaned, his thoughts scattering as his mind gave him a glimpse of what it would feel like to have those strong arms wrapped around him, forcefully drawing him back against the heat of that lean, toned body. The man was literally without equal.

A pained shout from Jou, as the others found themselves in the same situation as their king, ripped Yugi from the vivid fantasy with the same effect as a cold spray of water. It took him a moment to appreciate the compromising position that he had put himself in, zoning out like that.

Not only had he missed out on a chance to request a private conference with the powerful Egyptian concerning his friends’ safety without those friends side-tracking the discussion with their noble intentions, but now each of the Egyptians were eyeing him with nothing short of amusement – including the star of his erotic musing.

That one smirked widely, as if knowing his innermost thoughts, the appraising look in his eyes leaving Yugi with the impression that he seriously needed more clothing.

“Impressive, is it not? Would you like to know what it stands for?” Mahaado queried, not unkindly, from his position beside the intimidating monarch, hoping that the boy would take his question as a sign that this confrontation could be less than hostile.

The young teen’s jaw worked silently for a minute before it snapped shut with an audible click as he lowered his eyes to the floor in shame, unable to observe the other man’s peaceful gesture due to the lump in his throat. Oh gods, why couldn’t he just say the words? Such was part of his reasoning for giving up the throne, his persistent inclination to freeze upon attracting the attentions of such an imposing figure. He had his reasons, yes, but they did nothing for him now.

He had failed his friends. What was going to happen to them now? Was this the point where their lives became forfeit? Or were they to be tortured first, for whatever information it was that the Egyptians needed?

“Now that everyone is comfortable –” The Pharaoh’s powerful baritone voice echoed around the room, gaining everyone’s attention and answering Yugi’s unspoken question. “We are going to have a little discussion. I am going to ask the questions, and you –” He gazed around at his captive audience with a smirk. “– are going to answer when I call upon you. If this cannot be done in a calm and rational manner, than I will hand you over to my men for a different form of questioning. Understood?”

“Suck dick by choice!” Jou growled low, earning him a wide-eyed look from Yugi for his outburst and a smack upside the head from the blue-eyed priest standing behind him. “Ow! Watch it dick-weed!!”

Anzu glanced at the besieged blonde out of the corner of her eye before adding her comments. “Yeah, whatever you want – we don’t have it! Seek it elsewhere…preferably in the afterlife!”

“Hopefully they won’t make it that far. I would prefer a meeting with Ammit!” Honda interjected his two cents.

Ryou glared heartily at his white-haired look-alike. “I think I speak for all of us when I say kiss my ass!”

Bakura only chuckled as he stared down Ryou’s defiant glower, causing the boy only to grit his teeth and glare back even harder. “I would be glad to take a strap to your hide, little boy. You should respect your elders.”

Yugi’s head snapped up at the threat against his best friend, eyes narrowed. “Hey! There’s no –”

Ryou growled an unintelligible oath in the language of his homeland before switching back to the shared Coptic. “Go to–!”

“What is with you?! We are not children!” Malik snapped out in defense of the seething white-haired teen, just as Jou shouted “Why you arrogant son of a jack–!”

Atemu threw a glare over his shoulder aimed at the defiant teens for instigating the newest shouting match. “Enough!! Or would you rather I cut your tongues out one by one?!”

The furious monarch’s words had the effect that he wanted as once again the group fell silent, although not without their eyes speaking the similar sentiments to the ones they had voiced not seconds before. After a moment’s consideration Atemu waved his men over to the side of the room for a private discussion.

Upon hearing the foreign curse he had realized that there was an infinitely easier way to get the Hyksos ruler to give himself up with none of the others being the wiser – not that torture didn’t have a certain appeal at this time.

“What’s up?” Bakura asked irreverently, trailing after the others towards the corner of the room.

“Would it not be interesting to know which one of them has the ability to follow this discussion?” Atemu replied quietly in Hieratic, a dialect of Egyptian language and writing only used at the higher levels of government. “Only those of royal blood would have learned foreign diplomacy...”

“Therefore the only person who’ll understand what we’re saying is our dear Prince Yugi.” Marik finished, folding his arms over his chest with a chuckle. “Did I ever tell you I like the way your devious mind works?

Atemu shot his head of guards a superior smirk but shook his head in lieu of his normal sarcastic remark.

“Interesting…” Seto raised an eyebrow, but switched over to Hieratic as well, setting the topic of the conversation as he raised his voice to a level that could be heard on the other side of the room. “I see, so shall we hand them over to Marik and Bakura for punishment before we try this again?”

“That would be our best course of action.” Atemu granted with a nod. “I would think them quite willing to answer any question put to them after some discipline.”

As he spoke his scarlet gaze wandered surreptitiously around the room, past the blank, rebellious glares on many of the younger group’s faces, until he got to a pair of fearful amethyst eyes that widened as if understanding every word they spoke. It was as he had thought. The little one who had caught his attention earlier was the one he was searching for.

The devious royal smirked broadly as he whispered “Hello Prince Yugi.”

Yugi’s eyes shot up at the soft sound of his name and he froze as the other monarch chuckled loudly. Slowly he lowered his head, nodding in abject misery. Oh gods, not like this…

As much as he had wanted his Egyptian tormentors to realize that he had been speaking the truth, now that the time had come the young king found that he wasn’t ready for it. He swallowed the knot of despair in his throat, trying valiantly to hold back the tears. What if, now that the Egyptians knew who he was, they killed his friends anyways, for spite? Why couldn’t he have had the courage to speak the words earlier?

“Game over little one...” Atemu laughed as he closed in on his prey, pleased now that his theory was proven accurate. “You have no pretense left to hide behind.”

He, Seto, Marik, Bakura, and Mahaado, along with a couple of the guards had debated at length over whether it was the amethyst-eyed child who held the throne or if it was the white-haired child. And their opinions had been split right down the middle.

Atemu had argued long and hard that the smallest of the group was the one they protected, yet Seto insisted that the boy with the white hair was occupying the throne when they announced their presence. Now proven correct Atemu was in a generous mood – at least as far as the situation allowed. The impetuous royal aimed a victorious smirk at his high priest, gaining a roll of sapphire eyes as his reward, before stalking the length of the floor towards his prey.

“Hello little prince-ling…what have you to say for yourself?” Atemu leaned in to whisper as he presented himself before the young Hyksos ruler with a graceful bow.

By that time Jou and the others realized that their sovereign was caught and they tried their best to loudly deny the accusation. But it didn’t matter anymore. Atemu turned a deaf ear to their shouts. This victory belonged to him.

Yugi fidgeted with his bindings, refusing to look up. “C-could we please finish this discussion elsewhere? I would rather they not –” He nodded over towards where his friends were still struggling valiantly to protect him with their words, reverting to a formal tongue that he had long heard his grandfather speak as he made his request. “– witness…I-I don’t want their last memories of me to be tainted with my cowardice.”

After a moment’s consideration Atemu inclined his head with a regal nod as he began to loosen the ropes that held the young ruler to his chair. “As you wish.”

Upon being freed, Yugi rubbed at his sore wrists and rose from the chair unsteadily. He glanced over at the others with a solemn expression, his regal acceptance causing the room to explode into a vortex of shouts and pleas for his life. This was it. His time had come to an end and the only clear thought was of those he would be leaving behind.

Then the petite ruler’s mind shut down, leaving him visibly trembling as he endeavored to keep his head held high. He was torn between praying that he wouldn’t shame himself in front of the intimidating Egyptian before his final breath and praying for a way to keep his friends from sharing in his fate. In the end his friends won out, he would gladly beg on his knees if it meant that they would go free.

“This way young one.” Atemu extended his hand to allow the trembling teen to precede him out of the room. As a ruler, he understood the other’s need to keep his emotions private and he almost admired the little one’s courage for requesting it.

Seto and two of the guards attempted to follow, but the Egyptian monarch brought their intentions to a halt with a firm hand as he trailed the younger sovereign out into the corridor, closing the doors behind him to ensure their privacy.

As he escorted his unbound prisoner down the hallway towards the study Atemu’s eyes strayed to the other’s nimble form appreciatively. The little one was truly a remarkable sight wrapped in gauzy linen pants that tapered at slim ankles, the silky fabric of his shirt clinging to his slender waist, leaving so much, but at the same time so little to the imagination. The heavy braids he wore swinging with each and every graceful movement.

He smirked when the object of his fascination realized that he was being watched – the boy’s entire frame tensing up, a rosy blush extending all the way to the tips of his ears as he snuck wary, hesitant glances behind him.

During his reign Atemu had known many a grown man who pissed themselves in fear when they found themselves the target of his wrath. Yet this one tiny royal held his head high even with the knowledge that he was walking to his death. So much courage wrapped up in such a becoming little package. Was it misplaced?

Exactly how did this little beauty become mired in the heart of his plans for reprisal? Was it by his choice? Could this boy truly be the mastermind behind the destruction of his village and yet still be able to pass off such a façade of innocence in the face of his fury? There were so many questions. He couldn’t possibly answer all of them with the boy’s demise. Could he?!

When they made it to their destination Atemu graciously opened the door, ushering his captive into the room before closing and locking it behind him. At the panicked glance he received the bemused Egyptian found himself with a desire to explain his motives. “It will keep the others from our conversation.”

Once inside the study Yugi had quickly put as much distance between himself and the temperamental Egyptian as possible, staring out the window to make it seem as though he were only enjoying the calm nighttime breeze. When he heard the lock slide into place he was unable to keep the shudder from rocking his petite frame, glancing back at the other regent in alarm.

The excuse given did nothing to calm his frazzled nerves, but he steeled himself to ask the question he needed to know before his life came to an end.

“Why?” Yugi croaked as he wrapped his arms around his slender form.

“Why what little one?” Atemu questioned, quite willing for the moment to let the boy open the dialog before demanding the answers he sought.

“W-why us?” Yugi traced the glow of the early morning sunrise with his eyes, meticulously avoiding the other’s powerful gaze. “Of all places…What is it you w-want from us?”

Retracting his earlier decision on exactly how to deal with the younger monarch, Atemu quickly closed the distance between them with a scowl. “I believe you already know the answer to both questions, so cease with the naive routine. Contrary to popular belief I am not in the habit of harassing innocents – unlike some people.”

“What are you talking about?” Yugi darted behind the desk in an effort to put a barrier between them, his eyes now locked on the predatory gleam visible in those exotic scarlet orbs.

“Damn it!” Atemu slapped his hands down on the desktop forcefully, scattering papers, toppling the quill out of the inkpot and rattling figurines as he locked eyes with his prey. If need be he would vault over the barrier and tutor the boy on how not to lie to him. “I speak of the village that your men destroyed three days prior. You cannot have forgotten in such a short period of time!”

Yugi jumped at the display of temper but held his ground. “That’s impossible! We’ve done nothing to you.”

“Nothing?! You’ve done nothing you say…?!”

Atemu paced away the length of the room with his hands fisted in his hair before stalking towards the desk that lay between the two of them as he dug into the bag strung around his waist, Yugi matching him backwards step for step. Once the scarlet-eyed royal found what he was searching for he tossed the item onto the desk where it landed with a dull thump amidst the pile of papers.

He folded his arms across his chest and quirked a brow at the object, all but daring the younger king to deny the accusation. “Explain what this was doing at the wreckage of my village! Explain why a dead child held a drawing of your royal crest in his hand!!”

Yugi cautiously stepped up to take a peek at what the other king had tossed down so vehemently. Whatever it was it had caused a chillingly furious expression to settle over those exotic features. He stared at it for a moment, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. When it became clear the young king put a trembling hand to his mouth, shaking his head to rid himself of the implications.

Oh gods, it couldn’t be!!!

Lying so innocently amidst its bed of papers was a scrap of blood soaked leather from a soldier’s armor – one that was embroidered with his family’s royal insignia. None other than the Hyksos royal army had those symbols etched in their armor. Was this what had the Egyptian monarch storming their palace with such a murderous intent?

“Oh gods…where did you…?” Yugi covered his mouth against the need to gag, a desperate, haunted look crossing his pale features. “…How did you get that?!”

Atemu angrily evaluated the boy’s reaction as the young king sank to his knees in front of him, before he lashed out in rage.

“That was my village your soldiers destroyed without a thought!! And that was my friend among those killed!” Teeth bared in an intimidating snarl he struck his chest with the palm of his hand to illustrate his point. “Mine! What say you?! Now that you are confronted with the evidence! What say you now?!”

Yugi shook his head, blocking out the other’s words as he huddled in on himself. No, no no! Not Egypt too! It wouldn’t matter that he had no previous knowledge of this raid. Staring back at him from the middle of the desk was all the proof that was needed. His life was over. The powerful Egyptian ruler had all the right in the world to expect his life in return for those lost.

“But they were in Persia…” He whispered tearfully, almost to himself. “Why? He couldn’t be in two places…could he…? Oh gods! Why would they…? It doesn’t make any sense!!”

Atemu folded his arms across his chest, breathing heavily, as he gave the smaller royal a moment to gather his desperate thoughts. Eventually the Egyptian royal closed his eyes in consternation as he followed the other’s barely intelligible mutterings. He understood all too clearly what the boy was trying to piece together.

There was the slightest chance that the little one had no involvement whatsoever in this plot.

“How many?” Yugi’s head snapped up, a determined glaze to his eyes.

“Pardon?” Atemu questioned wearily.

“How many! How many lives?! How many homes? Gods, how many more people need to die before my father’s greed is sated?!!” Yugi shot to his feet, startling the older monarch with his vehemence, his thoughts in turmoil. “Even in his grave he haunts me! Am I ever going to be free of his influence?”

“Too many!” Atemu shot back, taking a step towards the trembling teen in anger. “Why does it matter to you?!”

“You’re right. Too many…even one is too many…” Yugi stumbled away to catch himself against the wall, well out of the other’s reach. Gathering what was left of his tattered dignity, he scrubbed at his face to erase the evidence of tears. “I would rather end it now…I know it won’t make up for their loss…but…T-take my life…as payment for theirs then. Mine…and the lives of those who carried out the act…”

Atemu’s jaw dropped, freezing him mid-step. This wasn’t the response he had anticipated. No one had ever offered their life in return for those that he had lost. It was unheard of, that someone take responsibility for their actions. He shook his head to regain his composure, realizing that the young monarch was still talking while he stood there looking stupid with his mouth hanging open wide enough to catch flies.

“…All I ask is that you spare my friends. They are good people. And my country...my people…Please, I beg you; don’t take your anger out on them. They are all blameless.”

Having said what he needed to the young king reached over to the display of weapons beside him and withdrew a sword before a startled Atemu even realized his intentions. He then kneeled before the Egyptian monarch, narrowly clinging to what was left of his courage as he held out the sharp weapon in offering.

“If you c-could make this fast I would truly appreciate it…I’m...I h-hate being scared…”

His body on autopilot Atemu reached for the sword, if only to keep it out of the other’s shaky grasp, the gears in his head turning frantically. Earlier he and Bakura had joked about taking a pleasure slave of royal blood. The idea had seemed far-fetched considering the circumstances. But after listening to the young king’s frantic mutterings and reading of his numerous troubles the idea almost seemed like their best course of action.

It was his choice, he had the upper hand. Should he kill the boy outright? Or should he stake his claim as he had wanted to do from the very moment he laid eyes on the slender Hyksos royal and wait for the truth to reveal itself? Either way it left him in control of another territory, a burden he neither wanted nor needed. Should he dare acquire something for himself out of the arrangement?


End file.
